Living Wages at the Port of Oakland

This report, written before actual passage of the law, examines the potential impacts of a living wage ordinance for the Port of Oakland. The authors explain the stimulus for the extension of the living wage law to Port tenants (groups here into real estate, maritime port, and airport activity). The study profiles Port employment by job composition, worker demographics, and wage levels, followed by a cost-benefit analysis of the impact upon firms and workers in each of the three sectors. The authors find modest costs for airport and maritime port tenants, and larger but still acceptable costs for real estate tenants.